The Past Never Leaves You
by Aud2016
Summary: Marlene and her mom have struggled with everything, since her dad went to jail. What will happen when there's a family tragedy? Will they make it out or die trying... *Please tell me what you think(:*


**Audrey Durbin**

**Suspense ****& ****Flashback**

**The Past Never Leaves You**

_"Please quiet down!" The gavel bangs down three more times. My ears can't seem to handle that kind of noise; I've heard it so many times in the past three days. _  
_"Order, Order in my courtroom!" He bangs the gavel one more time, and everything gets quiet again. I sigh in relief, being here at six years old, is super boring. They just want me as a witness; but I don't understand what mommy and daddy are arguing about. They've been arguing a lot lately. My mom told me this morning that what they're doing is about them, but it's for my own good; but how can arguing more than once a day be good for me._  
_"Now, the court has our decision. It is final!" The judge, Mathew, looks down at his paper then speaks again. _  
_"We find Eric Johnson guilty of drug possession. Therefore we are giving full custody of Marlene Johnson to Kara Johnson, and sentence Eric to life in prison." He bangs his gavel one more time; my mother squeezes me tightly and grabs my hand. _  
_"Time to go home sweetie, everything will be better now." She starts to lead me to the door. But how can things be better if daddy isn't at home with us. _

_Everyone was clearing out when all of a sudden my dad jumped up and attacked one of the guards. He caught him off guard and grabbed his gun, I hear a gun shot and-_

I wake huffing and puffing, trying to catch my breath. I am sweaty and drag my hand across my forehead. I look at my alarm clock and see that its 5:00 a.m. and time for me to get up for school.  
I walk down the hallway to check on my mom, she's still sleeping. These past 10 years have been crazy for her, with my dad not paying any child support at all. A few years ago my dad broke out of prison; no one seems to know where he went or where he is. With his background my mom has kept a special eye on me.  
I walk into the room across the hall from my mom's room, and take a quick shower. The ice cold water would normally kill other people, but to me I lose myself in what feels like a fantasy.  
_ "Don't let me fall daddy, don't let me fall!" I shriek. My dad and I are in a lake under the waterfall; he's spinning me around in the air about to jump in when my mom walks out of the hut. _  
_"Come on sweetie," my dad calls, "come join the fun!" She shakes her head and walks back inside. Something's wrong, because my dad sets me down and runs after my mom. _  
_"Daddy!" I yell._  
"Honey are you okay? You're taking a long time. I have to work you know." I didn't realize my mom was up. How long did I take?  
"Sorry mom! I'm...uh…getting out now!" I turn off the shower and grab my towel. When I get in the hallway my mom and I exchange a look, and she goes into the bathroom. Things have gotten bad since the bills caught up with my mom. My dad never supported us after he went to prison, then once he got out…no one knows where he is! But I try not to think of him, I have other things to worry about.

I walk back to my room and over to my dresser. I decide on wearing a green sweater and blue jeans. My mom's making coffee when I get down stairs.

"How did you sleep?" She asks, "I heard you rustling in your bed last night." She's looking at me while I pour my cereal. I want to tell her I'm fine and am able to show her that we still have a mother daughter bond…but it feels like there's nothing between us. I finally choke up something to reply back to her.  
"I'm fine, it was just another nightmare. They've been getting less horrifying lately." She nods and starts out the door.  
"I'll be home late tonight. There's frozen things in the freezer, don't talk to strangers and-"  
"I know, I know!" I snap back at her, a little more rudely than I met it to be. I calm myself down and speak again. "Get home as quick as possible, and lock all the doors." She nods again and then leaves, a few minutes later I do too.

There's cool, crisp air outside, and it feels amazing on my sweating face. My house's heat is extreme. I see a few people from school getting onto buses, and I realize I hate school. I decide on my own terms that I am taking the long way today. I'm so sick of that place anyways.

_30 minutes later._

I'm walking up a hill, towards the ocean. By now I'll miss about 2 hours of school. It's a half hour trip here. When I get to the peer out of the corner of my eye I see a darting car. I start to run so I can roll down the hill and get out of its way but it cuts me off. All of a sudden three guys jump out of the black van, in black clothes. I try to scream but someone behind me covers my mouth and hits me with something hard in the back of my head, then everything goes black.

_Two days later._

My head feels fuzzy, and everything's blurry around the edges of my eyes. Dots are dancing in front of my vision; I have no clue where on earth I am. The room is dark with a mysterious, eerie light in the corner. I see a solid figure in the corner huddled, over something steaming. I blink rapidly, trying to get a hold of myself. What happened? Where am I? How did I get here? These are questions that have to be answered; and soon.  
I see the solid figure move and start towards me. I try to back up and end up bumping into the wall. The figure comes closer and an appearance begins to form.

Before me is a young about fifteen or sixteen year old girl. She has a mousy face, with a narrow chin. She has long brown hair that is stringy...probably hasn't taken a shower in a while. By the look of her and this place, you must not get showers often.

"Do you need help getting up? How did you get here?" Her voice is mousy too; then she shakes her head. "I can't believe he got you too." I shake my head in astonishment. Who got me?  
"Who...?" I pipe out. My voice is strange and it doesn't belong to me.  
"His name's Eric. He's the meanest guy in this town. I don't know where he came from though. One day I was walking home from babysitting, and he pulled over in front of me, three guys jumped out and then I ended up here." I nod. The name Eric rings a small bell in the back of my head; probably someone I know from school.

All of a sudden the door swings open and the same three guys that got me knock her out, I see them drag her out of the room. I would've screamed or cried for help or maybe stopped them, but I don't know her; she helped me on information that still leaves me clueless to wherever I am, and whatever he wants. I know I'm next when she comes back, but how long will that be? I wonder if my mom's worried, or even how long it's been. I don't know how long but I am extremely hungry and tired. I soon find myself dozing off into a marvelous dream of what used to be.

"_Your turn honey." My dad looks down and smiles at me. My mom, dad, and I are all sitting around the Christmas tree. The house smells like cookies and cinnamon candles. My mom is standing with the video camera across the room. She notions me with her head to open up the biggest one first. I am about 3 years old now; everything is perfect at our house. I waddle across, on my knees, to the big box on the left side of the tree. I untie the bow and up jumps a puppy! I squeal with excitement and my parents both laugh. The golden doodle, a golden retriever/and poodle mix, jumps out of the box. I hug it tightly as it licks my cold cheek._

"_What do you want to name her?" My dad asks me, while chuckling at the same time. I furrow my eyebrows. This name is just like mine, permanent. My parents named me Marlene, because they wanted a name that would be unique. Something no one would use, or at least wasn't popular. _  
_"I think...Peaches, would do." I looked down at her, and smiled. "She has orangey brown fur after all!" Then she licks my face, and I smile again._  
I wake up to bruises all over my body, everything is sore, and I can barely move. I look across the room and see Abby slung over, tied up to a pole. She has cuts, and bruises all over her body too. What happened while I was asleep? Did they knock me out...impossible! I would've remembered! I try to move myself but can't seem to find the strength. Abby mumbles something, but has a cloth over her mouth. Once again I try to get up. Only being two days in and I'm already so weak? I haven't eaten, barely slept, and have already been beat to a pulp. What else can go wrong?

Looking over my body, they've done much worse damage than I thought. I have small slits everywhere, on my face, my legs, arms, and back...it's crazy. I think they're meant more for a burning purpose then bleeding. My head has a big bald spot on it and it feels like they ripped it open. My legs are growing scabs on them, over spots that finally stopped bleeding. I have dried blood marks on my body everywhere. It's amazing how much they made me bleed. My arms are sore I think they twisted them up, my legs are burning. My head's pounding and my stomach's twisting.

I look over to Abby who's trying her hardest to first, get the mouth rag off her mouth; and to second get her hands free. When she fails at both she finally looks at me. I can see tears growing in her eyes, and they start to grow in mine. I tilt my head down, so I can look away from her, I can't show my feelings like this. I am too open, too trusting...and it will lead me to sorrow and despair. The next time I look at Abby will be my last, but I didn't know that.

The next thing happens so fast it's like seeing lightning! They, Eric and his crew, burst in. He gives me one look and with a smirk, turns towards Abby. His henchmen have already grabbed her by her hair, and have yanked her up. This time I won't make the mistake of doing nothing! I will help her, especially if I'm her last hope. I try to get up but am still too weak, what's wrong with me? I have to have enough heart, or willpower, or something to get up and help this girl. I may have helped if I knew his next move. But that's the tricky thing about the present or the future; you can't stop everything, and even now I can't seem to find myself to move. He turns his dark green snake eyes and locks them on mine. Keeping them there he puts one arm around her head, and crossing to her shoulder. And the other on the opposite side of her face. Then he begins to speak.

"You crazy child. You're nothing but pathetic you know? You can't even find enough heart to get up and help this girl. The girl who gave you information!" He's now spitting the words at me like venom. "The girl who treated you with kindness as if you were a friend, and not a stranger." He squints his eyes, trying to read me. But how can he if it puzzles me as well? I don't understand why I didn't help her. But the things he's saying are true and it's like he shooting me in the heart and the gut, each time he says something new. "She showed you things you never knew, how to live through my kidnapping and-"  
"Oh shut it!" I spit back at him. I already know I'm going to die, so the least I can do is try to help her and have him take me instead. "You obviously want me not her, so why not take me? Why'd you kidnap me on purpose? Why'd you-"  
"My sweet naive girl. One does not kidnap for a choice. He or she kidnaps to kidnap. But you are right, I do want you...you specifically." Then his grip around Abby's head tightens, and in one swift motion he pulls and I hear a crack. Abby falls limp to the floor. All of a sudden my strength is with me.

While his guard is down, and his back up men are gone I take this chance and jump up and pounce on him. This will cause me to probably die, but I know it's coming so why not do what I should and hurt the man, who caused me and millions of other children stress and their family's loss.

I start by clawing at his face, I soon see a scar, that was newly stitched I lunge my teeth at it, and bite as hard as I can; not being fully satisfied until I taste sweet victory. Blood. I start biting him hard at random spots, and clawing at him all over. By now he's screamed loud enough his men will be coming. He tries to grab me but I roll over and get up quickly. He grabs his neck and holds it down to stop the bleeding. While he's not focused I position myself. Right foot back, left foot forward, planted. Arms raised to protect my face, and will all the might I have I kick full forced at his groin. My foot would have hit him and I would have won this battle but his evil henchmen grabbed my arms and one grabbed my foot and twisted. I fell to the floor and the next thing I see ,the tallest of them all leans down and hits my left temple with a rock; hard enough to knock me out, light enough not to kill me.

"_I told you for the hundredth time, I don't care about him!" I scream at the top of my lungs. "Why can't you get it through your head? I get it he's a bad man, he's out of jail, but why does it matter to you if I care about him? He was almost never in my life. I can barely remember anything past eight, and that's all you!" These feuds have been going on for a while, about 2 years, my mom can't seem to drop the fact that I don't care and I won't let my guard down._

"_Honey I don't want to see you get hurt, or taken from me...let alone permanently." She uses her smooth soothing voice and it always wins me over, not this time! This time I am sticking my foot down and standing up for what I believe in. _  
_"Fine if you don't want to see me go so bad, then give me some freedom! Don't keep me locked up in this jail of a house forever!" I scream, and stomp up stairs and slam my door shut. She's the worst mother in the world, and I hate her for it now._  
I wake up freezing, shivering with tears in my eyes. All this time, I never knew my last few moments with her would be me smarting off to her. I took all of that for granted; and now...now I wish I could have it all back! I try to wipe my tears away from my face but something is holding me down. I try to move my arms again but I just burn on my arms. I feel around with my fingers and find it's a rope. I move my arms up and down and find myself tied to a pole. But where am I? This isn't the same room I used to be in, the floor is tile and freezing cold, the walls look white but some spots look like they have something on it. The room is so dark; I literally can't see my legs. Out of the corner of my eyes I see a door open and a figure stand by the door. Then he moves something and the door shuts but the lights come on too.  
My eyes take a few minutes to adjust to the new lighting. And I search for the figure but can't seem to find it. When my eyes travel around the room I almost throws up and cries at the same time. The spots I saw early are caked with blood and gut everywhere! It's not just in one spot the left and back wall are covered. Then the figure's back again and it's Eric.  
"You just love making me mad don't you?" He still has that evil smirk, and that evil snake eyes.  
"What did you mean when you said you wanted _me_ specifically?"  
"So jumpy aren't we...were just getting started" He walked behind me so I couldn't see him anymore.  
"I need answers. Now!" I yell, my voice echoing throughout the room. Then cold chills run down my back as I hear his voice, a yell from him would've been more threatening.  
"Oh I plan to tell you." Then he walked back out in front of me and I gasp, as if the wind got knocked out of me. He now stands in front of me with a big long kitchen knife.  
"Now I promise to make this as painless as possible, I'm already sick of you. Want to know why?" Of course I do! I think. Why else would I be here, sitting like a duck. I nod. "Good." is all he says. Then he turns the knife in his hand and starts again. "You've made a mess for me ever since you were young. But since you got here it's been trouble. None of my captives talked when they first met, let alone helped each other. It was you or dies. That's it! So I had to kill Abby so I could strike fear into you." He says, starting to raise his voice. Getting closer and closer to yelling. "Not only that, but so I could get someone else...someone dear to you." One thought pops into my head. Mom. My eyes narrow as he walks away.

Then in one split second he turns, and lunges at me! The knife stabs into my shoulder! The more close he is the more features I recognize. Little things like his cheekbones, his jaw line, the real color of his eyes, and his nose shape. My brain is trying to process any thoughts I have over that, and the jabbing pain I now have in my shoulder. I still can't move. "I will get her you know? I will, and I will ruin you two just like you've ruined me!" He screams this time and finally everything registers. The malice, the backstabbing, wanting me and my mom, the recognized features. This man...is my father.

He lunges at me again this time stabbing me right in the heart.

When I pass out this time, I don't see all black. I start with all white, and then it leading to little flashbacks of all the happy times my family had together, before my dad and mom got divorced. Before Peaches died. Before my mother and mine's relationship got ruined. And before I was kidnapped. The future may burn you, the present destroy you...but the past? The past will never leave you.


End file.
